Guide to choosing the Right Property Management Software for Your Business

Managing rental properties, from a handful of units, through to a sprawling portfolio, requires staying on top of countless moving parts. You'll need to be tracking rent payments and handling maintenance requests, keeping accurate records, and communicating with tenants. And that's just for starters. The workload can quickly pile up. That's where property management software like togetha comes in.

The right property management software saves you time and money. The wrong one will quickly result in buyer’s remorse.

With so many options on the market, choosing the right software can feel overwhelming. To make the best decision for your business, you’ll need to understand what features matter most, what questions to ask, and how to assess your specific needs. This guide breaks down everything you should consider before making your choice.

1. Understand Your Property Management Needs

Before diving into features and pricing, take a moment to evaluate your current setup.

Consider:

• Portfolio Size: Are you managing a single property, a dozen units, or several hundred?
• Property Types: Do you manage residential, commercial, student housing, or vacation rentals?
• Current Pain Points: What manual tasks or inefficiencies do you want the software to address? For example, are you a lettings agent and you have multiple team members wasting time on tasks that you know could be automated?
• Team Structure: Are you a solo manager or do you have a team that needs access?

Understanding your operational scope will help narrow down software that’s truly aligned with your business model. 2. Prioritise Essential Features

Once you've clarified your needs, make a list of essential features you want the software to offer. Some of the most common (and critical) capabilities include:

• Tenant Information and Lease Tracking: Centralised records for tenancies, lease dates, and renewal alerts.
• Online Rent Collection: Secure payment processing and automatic reminders. For increased functionality, togetha also offers the option to chase rent across your entire tenant base in just one click. If you're managing many properties, what would reducing late rent payments mean for the cashflow of your business? togetha can help with that too!
• Maintenance Management Communication and appointment management systems for tenant requests and contractor/vendor coordination.
• Accounting Tools: Expense tracking and finance reporting.
• Document Storage: Digital storage for leases, invoices, and communication logs.
• Communication Tools: A way to easily and effectively communicate between landlord and tenant.

• A secure platform: Increasingly, security of documents and information is a priority, for individuals and businesses alike. Make sure the software you’re considering has the right level of security in place for your needs.

Decide which features are non-negotiable for you and your business, and which are nice-to-haves. This will help prevent feature overload and focus on what actually drives value for your operations. 3. Consider Ease of Use

Even the most robust software is useless if it’s too complicated to use. A clunky interface can lead to more headaches than it solves. When evaluating options, look for:

• User-Friendly Dashboards: Clear layouts and intuitive navigation.
• Mobile Access: A responsive platform that works on mobile as well as desktop, for managing on the go.

Learning Curve: Does it offer training, tutorials, or onboarding support? If possible, request a demo or take advantage of a free trial to explore the platform first-hand. togetha offers free, no-commitment 20 minute demos to help you exactly how much time and money you could save, and free trials to give it a go and see for yourself. Book a demo to see how togetha can help your business save time and money.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

Think long-term. Your business might be small today, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Choose a software that can grow with you. Ask questions like:

Can it handle a growing number of units or properties?

Can you add multiple team members?

What do the costs look like to scale with you as your business grows?

The right solution should be flexible enough to accommodate your evolving needs without forcing you to migrate platforms down the line.

5. Security and Compliance

As we mentioned briefly earlier, property management involves sensitive data: tenant information, payment details, financial records. Security isn’t optional.

• Data Protection: Look for encryption, secure servers, and regular backups.
• Compliance: Does it help with local landlord-tenant laws, tax regulations, or fair housing standards?

Ask providers about their approach to data security and compliance; decent providers will be happy to share their security protocols with you.

6. Support and Customer Service

Even the best software can run into issues. When something breaks, or you have a question; you need to know help is available.

• Is support available via phone, email, or chat?
• What are the support hours?
• Is there a knowledge base or FAQ section that could help you find your answer without needing to speak to someone?

7. Total Cost of Ownership

The cost of property management software can vary widely based on features, user count, and property volume. Some platforms charge flat fees, while others use a per-unit or tiered model, charging additional fees for things like tenant referencing, lease eSigning, and more.

• Understand Pricing: Make sure you understand all fees, including setup costs and additional fees for items. .
• Value Over Price: The cheapest option isn’t always the best. Think about ROI.
• Trial Periods: If available, use a trial to test value before committing.

Avoid the trap of overpaying for features you don’t need (or don’t need to pay extra for because another tool includes them as part of the cost), or underpaying for a tool that doesn’t actually meet your needs.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right property management software isn’t just about checking off a list of features, it’s about finding a solution that fits your workflow, simplifies your day-to-day, and grows with your business.

Take the time to define your needs, ask the right questions, and test a few options before making a final decision. The right tool can transform how you manage properties and free you up to focus on what matters most: your tenants, your investments and your business, and your time.

togetha is the only all-in-one property management software on the market that offers all property management essentials in one place, for an all-inclusive cost with no add-ons. Book a no-commitment demo to see how much time and money togetha could save you.